


Yesterday

by Quacks



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Dead May Parker (Spider-Man), I cried while writing this, Insecure Peter Parker, Mental Health Issues, Mild Language, Minor Character Death, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Panic Attacks, Pepper Potts Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker is a Mess, Sad Peter Parker, The Universe Hates Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, because I say so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:34:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22643446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quacks/pseuds/Quacks
Summary: Yesterday, all his troubles seemed so far away. Now, It looks as though they're here to stay.May dies.Peter Struggles.Tony and Pepper try to comfort the hurting teenager.
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 206
Collections: The Best Irondad/Spiderson Fics, The Best Peter Parker Whump Fics





	1. All my troubles seemed so far away.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, the first line of the summary is from The Beatles song 'Yesterday'. I was listening to that song while trying to come up for a title of this story and, well, it just fit. 
> 
> Anyway, Thank you so much for reading my story! I hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> Please leave a kudos or comment if you like it or having any suggestions, ideas, feedback, etc.

*Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.* 

The seconds passed slowly. Each minute felt like an hour. There was an unusual energy buzzing through the air. An energy that could only come with the close of the school year. Summer was on the horizon. The sun setting on the constant homework, projects, and finals. 

It had been an interesting year, to say the least. After the homecoming debacle things progressed as they normally would. That is until a giant spaceship showed up. Nobody really knew what happened. The ship left as quickly as it came, but there was still an air of uncertainty. For a week, schools closed to ensure that nothing was going to happen. Finally the Avengers held a press conference stating that the alien threat had been eliminated and the world moved on as if nothing had happened. 

That is why Peter Parker currently finds himself sitting in his last class of the school year, watching the clock as it ticks through the last *tick* few *tick* seconds. 

*Bbrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggggg*

Finally! 

Hopping to his feet, Peter grabs his backpack and rushed out the door along with the other students. He maneuvers his way through the hordes of students in the hallway, all of them pushing and shoving to “The Doors of Freedom”. Just as he is about to cross through the threshold, a hand grabs onto his collar, pulling him back, shoving him into the wall. “Don’t think you can get away so easily Penis.” Flash sneers. There are a few other boys with him, all smirking along with the bully. “I can’t let you go for summer without giving you something to remember me by.”

Unable to do anything to defend himself against the impending attack, Peter takes a deep breath, hoping against all logic that it will subside some of the pain. When the first blow lands on his jaw, Peter takes that time to lower himself to the ground, knowing the sooner he looks defeated, the sooner Flash and his goons will stop. The kicks come next - as they always do - and Peter curls inward to minimize the broken ribs and/or internal bleeding. If it weren’t for his speedy healing, he’s sure the beatings would cause way more problems than they currently did. 

Apparently, ‘something to remember’ him by, meant Flash beating up Peter until he had given him a concussion, broken his nose, and fractured three ribs. It was times like this when Peter was grateful Aunt May got home later than he did, giving him time to clean off the blood from his face. Everything always looks worse than it really is when it’s covered in blood. Walking into the small apartment, Peter went straight to the bathroom, taking off his shirt as he did. He flicked on the light, assessing the damage. His nose would heal without needing to be set, so that was good. He would definitely have a bruise covering his abdomen, but it would be gone in a few days. Sighing to himself, Peter grabbed a washcloth and started the scrub at the half dried blood. 

After cleaning up, Peter settled himself on the couch to watch some Netflix. He had a long list of shows he wanted to catch up on and with it being summer he had all the time in the world. Well, aside from Spider-Man duties, but he figured he couldn’t go out too much earlier than he would during the school year. He doesn’t need people being suspicious by an increase in Spider-Man activities as soon as summer started. 

This year, Aunt May had saved up her vacation time so that she could be off of work for the first week of summer. She just needed to finish her current shift and she would be done. A week ago, Peter and May had sat down at the table and wrote out a long list of things they wanted to do together that summer. They didn’t have any money to actually go on vacation, but there were a lot of fun things to do in New York so Peter doesn’t mind. The list had various activities from watching movies, to picnics in Central Park, to visiting science museums. 

As the third episode of his show ended, Peter glanced at the clock. 7:38. Hmm, that’s weird. Aunt May was usually home by 7:15. She was only 18 minutes late. She probably stopped by the store or something. Turning his attention back to the TV, Peter fidgeted with his phone. There was an uneasy feeling in his stomach, but he thought he was just being paranoid. He got that way sometimes. It’s not like he doesn’t have good reason to excessively worry when people don’t show up on time. His parents did die in a car crash and his uncle was shot in front of him. Peter Parker has a valid excuse to jump to the worst case scenarios. 

The shrill ring of his phone brought his back to reality. Checking the caller-ID, Peter recognized the number as the one from May’s hospital. His stomach dropped as a feeling of panic rushed over him. The logical side of him was reminding him that it could be May calling to tell him she was going to be home late. Maybe her phone died, so she had to use the work phone. It’s reasonable to assume that is what happened, but the feeling of dread blocked out his rational thinking.

Parker luck had been a real pain in the ass before, and Peter knew he had gone too long without something going wrong. So when he finally answered the phone, he wasn’t surprised when a deep male voice spoke on the other end. “Hello, my name is Dr.Harper at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Is this Peter Parker?”

Swallowing the lump that was forming in his throat Peter managed to croak out a quiet, “Yes.”

“Mr. Parker, I am calling about your Aunt, May Parker. There was an accident and she’s currently in our ICU.”

“She- she’s alive?” Peter shouldn’t sound so shocked, but given his past experiences, he wasn’t expected to hear that she was still alive. 

There was a long pause on the other end before Dr. Harper spoke again, this time carefully choosing his words. “She is currently alive, yes. I am not allowed to say any more over the phone, is there a way you can come to the hospital so we can talk to you in person?”

“Yes, yeah. I can, um, I can be there in ten minutes.” Peter answered as he grabbed his Spider-Man suit from his backpack. Swinging would get him there much faster than walking. 

It only took Peter five minutes before he was walking through the hallways of the hospital. May had brought him with her a few times when dropping off paperwork or other work related items, so he knew his way around the large building. In the ICU the receptionist gave him a curious look, before turning back to her computer. When Peter stepped up to the counter she glanced at him, eyebrows raising in question. “Can I help you?”

“Uh, I, um, am here to see my Aunt?” Peter couldn’t help but end that in a question as his nerves took over again. 

“Do you know what room she is in?” She asked, then continued when Peter shook his head. “What’s her name?”

“May Parker.”

The receptionists head shot up at his answer. Her eyes were wide and her mouth fell open in shock. She took a moment to look Peter up and down, seemingly to take in his age, before a look of sadness and pity replaced the shock. “You, You’re Peter?”

Nodding his head, Peter felt the sinking feeling in his stomach again, as if something bad was happening. The woman didn’t say anything else to him, just motioning him to sit on one of the nearby chairs. A few minutes passed before a door to the room was opening again. “Mr. Parker? I’m Dr.Harper.” An older man with white hair walked in, holding his hand out to Peter. A stethoscope hung around his neck in a stereotypical fashion and he was wearing a white coat with his name on the front pocket. His hair looked a little frazzled and he had bags under his eyes, but his smile was soft and kind. “How old are you Peter?”

“15.” He answered as he shook the doctor’s hand. 

“Is there anyone else who can be here with you? Any other family?”

Peter shook his head. “No. It- it’s just me and Aunt May.” 

Dr.Harper nodded his head in understanding, before letting out a long breath through his nose. “Okay, I’m just going to explain what happened then..” He paused for a moment to watch Peter before continuing. “There was an incident as May was getting ready to leave work. A patient had walked out of the ER with an IV still in their arm, so May went out to the parking lot to see if she could find them and was hit by a car. She hit her head really hard and had some major swelling in her brain. We had to put her in a medically induced coma. The X-rays showed that the swelling had caused too much damage. There isn’t wasn’t much we could do, except make her comfortable. She had coded a few times and we were able to bring her back, but right after I hung up the phone with you she coded again. We couldn’t save her. I’m very sorry Peter.”

The world seemed to spin and his head felt heavy. His vision blurred as he watched the doctor say something else to him, but he couldn’t hear anything besides the thundering of his heartbeat in his ears. He was alone. Completely alone. When his parents died, Peter had Uncle Ben and Aunt May. When Ben died, he had May. And now that May is gone ....Peter has no one. 

The next few minutes passed in a haze as Dr. Harper asked Peter if there was anyone he could call. Ned had left before school ended to Hawaii to visit his grandparents and there was only one other person Peter called on a regular basis. Pulling out his phone, Peter pulled up the number for one Happy Hogan. He’s not sure what Happy can do, but he doesn’t have anyone else. Giving the number to Dr. Harper, Peter waits as the man calls Happy. He hears a gruff grumble indicating that Happy answered. As Dr. Harper explains the situation over the phone, Peter starts to feel numb. Once again, the universe has taken away someone from Peter. Maybe Flash was right when he told Peter that he was a curse to everyone who knew him. Everyone he loved was dead. 

At some point Dr. Harper asked Peter if he wanted to see May, to which he shook his head. He didn’t think he could stand seeing her cold lifeless body laying on a hospital bed. The nightmares from watching Ben die were still vivid in his mind. He didn’t need a fresh reminder of how pale someone looks when they’re dead or how cold they feel when their warmth has faded into nothingness. 

After what seemed like an eternity, the doors to the ICU opened again and Peter could hear footsteps walking towards him. Looking up, he expected to see Happy standing next to him, not Tony Stark. The man was wearing oil stained jeans and an old t-shirt under a dark suit coat. His signature sunglasses rested on his nose, despite the fact that it was dark outside. The man looked tired and suddenly Peter felt guilty about bothering him. When Peter had decided to call Happy he knew he’d be bothering someone, but he didn’t expect Tony Stark to show up.

Ever since the Vulture, Tony and Peter had started to meet up once or twice a month to make sure all things Spider-Man were going smoothly. Tony wanted to be more in the loop on these things and Peter was just happy to be hanging out with his childhood idol. Peter knew if it wasn’t for Spider-Man, they wouldn’t be meeting, but he still enjoyed his time with the man. Why Tony Stark would be at the Hospital with Peter right now, the kid had no idea.

\- - - - - - - - - - -

Tony had just finished eating dinner with Pepper. He’d had a long day and really just wanted to settle down with his fiance on the couch to watch a movie. The night before had been sleepless as he worked to meet a deadline for the latest StarkPhone update, which Pepper was making him present to the board in the morning. 

When his phone rang Tony all but groaned as he hung his head in defeat. Sometimes it felt like he was never going to get a break. Looking at the screen, Tony saw that Happy was calling him so he figured whatever it was, could probably wait. Declining the call, he sat on the couch next to Pepper, who had already picked out a movie. He had just opened his mouth to tell FRIDAY to play the movie when his phone started to ring again. Once again, the screen showed it be Happy calling so Tony begrudgingly answered. “You better have a good reason for interrupting movie night.”

“Tony.” 

The quiet tone from his friend immediately put Tony on edge. Something bad had happened. “Happy? What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Peter’s at the hospital.” Tony felt his heart drop at Happy’s words. Not Peter. Please, anyone but Peter. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but the kid had wormed his way into Tony’s heart. Something about the way he could get excited over the most menial things, or how he could talk for hours on end about Star Wars. The kid was a genius, but he was humble and kind. Peter had also faced more trauma in his life than anyone should ever have to, but he was still a ball of energy and could squeeze a smile out of some of the deadliest assassins in the world. Hadn’t the kid faced enough? 

Happy sniffed quietly before clearing his throat to finish explaining. “He’s not hurt, but...his Aunt died.”

Oh. Oh God. 

Memories of the day Tony received a call informing him of his parents death came rushing back. He had been 18 at the time and it had been difficult to know how to move on. He could only imagine the pain Peter was currently feeling. Not only had the kid lost his parents at a young age, but he also lost his Uncle a couple years prior. And now his Aunt. Tony felt like he was all alone when he was grieving. He didn’t know what he was going to do, but what he did know is that he was going to make damn sure that Peter never felt alone. 

After explaining to Pepper what had happened, Tony flew to the hospital in one of his suits. It didn’t take him long before he was landing outside of the front doors. He ignored the looks of shock and confusion from the people he passed. There was an instinct inside of him - screaming at him - to get to Peter and protect him. Opening the doors to the ICU, Tony’s heart shattered as he saw the kid sitting in a chair. His eyes were focused on his hands and there was a blank look resting on his face. He looked so young at that moment, but there was something about him that also seemed aged. Like he had been through things no 15 year old should ever have experienced. 

In a couple short strides, Tony was next to Peter, feeling unsure of what to do next. When the kid looked up at him, he seemed surprised to see Tony, but soon a look of guilt settled on his features and he looked back down at his hands. It took a second for Tony to register that Peter was speaking to him, but what he heard broke his heart. “..didn’t have to come. I’m sorry for bothering you Mr. Stark.” 

Shaking his head sadly, Tony knelt beside Peter and grabbed his hands. “Peter, you don’t have to be sorry. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here with you. I’m sorry about your aunt kiddo.” When Peter didn’t say anything, Tony reached a hand up to pull the kids head into his chest, his fingers carding through his hair in an attempt to comfort him.

They sat like that for several minutes before a doctor came in with a middle aged woman following behind. Both had to take a moment to compose their expressions at seeing Tony Stark. The doctor spoke first. “Ah, um, Mr. Stark. I’m Dr. Harper. It’s, uh, nice to meet you.” 

Tony ignored the hand extended to him, instead opting to give a brief nod towards the doctor. He really just wanted to get Peter out of the hospital. The unnecessary pleasantries were getting on his nerves. “Can I take him?” He said motioning to Peter. 

The other two adults shared an uneasy glance, before the woman stepped forward. “Mr. Stark, my name is Nellie Greene, I’m the social worker assigned to Mr. Parker’s case. Unfortunately, with no other family members, the next option for Peter is foster care.”

“Nope. No. Absolutely not.” There was no way Tony was going to let Peter go into the system. Sure, some foster parents were great, but he had heard one too many stories about terrible situations kids had had to live through. 

“I’m sorry Mr. Stark, but it’s not a choice. State law says…”

“I’ll take him.” Tony offered, cutting her off mid sentence. Peter looked up in surprise. To be honest, Tony wasn’t expecting himself to say that, but he couldn’t think of any other reasonable options. “My lawyers will draw up all the paperwork and send it to you tomorrow. If you have any other concerns or questions you can ask them. As for now, he’s going to come with me tonight.” 

The billionaire didn’t wait for a response. Instead he stood up with Peter at his side and walked out. Happy was waiting outside to drive the two of them back to the compound. It was a quiet ride. Tony knew he wasn’t likely to get any sleep that night. There was a lot to figure out about what was going to happen next, but Tony didn’t regret his choice. He would make sure Peter was taken care of.


	2. Now it looks as though they're here to stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this chapter! Thanks for reading!

When Mr. Stark had offered to take Peter in, the teenager didn’t know what to say. A part of him was grateful. Grateful that he didn’t have to go into foster care right away. Grateful that someone else could want him. The other - more prominent - side of him felt guilty. Tony Stark was a busy man who didn’t have time for a mourning teenager. Hell, he was almost 16. Peter could take care of himself. In just two months he could file for emancipation and then he wouldn’t be anyone’s problem. But it wasn’t just the taking care of him part that made Peter feel guilty.

He was a curse. 

It was plain and simple; anyone who got close to Peter, died. His parents, his uncle, his aunt. All of them are dead because of him. And now that Tony Stark has volunteered to take care of him, Peter knew it was only a matter of time until the billionaire felt the repercussions of doing so. 

The car ride to the compound seemed to go by faster than normal. All Peter could think about was the fact that he was once again, an orphan. No. What was it called when you’ve lost two sets of parents in your lifetime? A double orphan? Either way, there was no one left. It was just Peter against the world. Yeah, sure, Mr. Stark said he’d take him in, but Peter knew better than to expect anything from him. 

When his parents died, Peter had spent a couple days crying in his bed, but he was still young enough that he didn’t truly know what he had lost. Then Ben died and Peter still found himself grieving. Random things would remind him of his uncle and he would burst into tears. This time though, he had yet to cry. His emotions felt overwhelming, like they were trapped inside him, but Peter found himself unable to release them. Maybe he didn’t deserve to grieve this time around. He’d already done enough of that from the other deaths. Shouldn’t he be used to this by now? Shouldn’t he be able to just move on without holding onto the past?

For being almost midnight, there were still a lot of lights on at the compound. The front of the building was almost completely glass. Some of the windows, closer to the top where the living quarters were located, had curtains drawn closed from the inside. Peter had only been to the compound a couple of times. Once when Mr. Stark offered him a position as an Avenger and the other when Captain America - Steve - had given him a day long training session. 

Mr. Stark led him in through a side door to a personal elevator. The man still hadn’t said anything to Peter and he started to worry that he was regretting taking him. The fear of being a burden was gnawing at Peter, but before he could work up the courage to offer to leave the doors to the elevator opened. 

They stepped out into a spacious entryway which turned into a short hallway before opening into the living room. There was a large sectional on the left side of the room facing the window. On the right was a fireplace with two chairs in front of it. Past the living room was the kitchen. There was a large island with enough seats for ten people. Just to the side of the kitchen next to the window was a wooden table. With everything else in the penthouse looking modern and sleek, you would think a country looking table would look out of place, but Peter couldn’t imagine anything different looking so perfect. 

“You hungry Pete?” Tony finally asked, breaking the silence. Peter just shook his head. The pit in his stomach seemed to take up all the space. He couldn’t imagine being able to keep anything down, let alone eat anything. “Okay. I can show you to your room then? It’s pretty late and I’m sure you’re tired or at least want to lay down.” 

Peter really did not want to go to sleep. He knew the nightmares were just waiting for him to close his eyes. But not wanting to be more of a burden for Mr. Stark, Peter just shrugged his shoulders. “I guess.” 

Tony turned to walk down a hallway past the fireplace. “Good choice. There are three guest bedrooms. You can take your pick. They’re all the same - each has its own bathroom and walk-in closet - and they are all soundproof. The room at the end of the hallway is the master bedroom and the door right across from it is my office.”

Not really wanting to be alone, but not wanting to keep the man from sleeping, Peter opted for the next best thing in his mind and chose the room right next to the master. It made him feel a little better knowing he was physically closer to people - even if they were in a completely different room. “Thanks Mr. Stark.” Peter said as he walked in the room. It was a comfortable size. Not too big, not too small. 

“You can use a pair of my pajamas tonight, then tomorrow we can go get some things from your apartment.” Tony said as he walked out of the room.

It felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Peter hadn’t thought about the fact that he would have to pack up the apartment. He didn’t think he could bring himself to go through May’s things. Reality was starting to settle in on Peter and he could feel the dam starting to break. The flood of emotions was threatening to flow. His heart was pounding and he tried to blink back the tears that were blurring his vision, but gave up as he felt the first few rolling down his cheek.  
“Mr. Parker, it appears you are in distress. Would you like me to contact the Boss for you?” Peter startled as the A.I - FRIDAY - spoke. 

Once he had comprehended what she had asked he replied quickly, shaking his head violently. “No! No.” Peter took in a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. “Please don’t tell him. I don’t want to bother him. I, uh, I’ll be okay.”

A beat of silence passed and Peter worried that the A.I wouldn’t listen to his request. It wasn’t Mr. Starks job to comfort him. He could handle it. He’s done it before, he can do it again. “Very well.” FRIDAY finally responded. 

Forgetting the fact that Mr. Stark would be back with pajamas, he closed and locked the door to his new room. Peter climbed into bed as the first sob escaped his lips. He clasped a hand over his mouth to muffle his cries and just hoped that sleep would overtake him quickly, all fear of nightmares pushed out of his mind. All Peter wanted was to stop feeling the pain of once again losing a parent. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

By the time he got back to the room the door was closed and FRIDAY informed him that Peter had fallen asleep. It took him longer than expected to get the pajamas, so he wasn’t surprised. The poor kid had had a long day and it was only going to be harder moving forward. 

Leaving the pajamas on the floor outside the room, Tony made his way to get a pot of coffee started. Pepper was sitting at the counter, a stack of papers in front of her, a sad smile on her face. “I’ve already talked with the lawyers. They say they can have the paperwork ready by tomorrow.” 

God, he really loves this woman. She knows everything he’s thinking before he even knows it himself. He’s so grateful she said yes to marrying him. Tony leaned in and placed a gentle kiss at the top of Peppers forehead. “Thank you.” The two of them sat at the kitchen counter in silence for a while, just taking solace in the comfort that came whenever they were simply together, before Pepper convinced Tony to actually go to sleep. 

\- - - - - - - - - - -

The next week went by about as well as expected. Peter spent the majority of his time alone in his new room. Tony and Pepper planned a beautiful funeral for May. It was small, but May wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Ned and his mom had flown back from Hawaii to attend the funeral. For some reason, seeing his friend again made the whole thing feel even more real than it already had. Maybe because Ned was now the only person he had left who had been there when both his parents and Ben died. 

When the time came for Peter to give the eulogy, it took him a few minutes to build up the courage to get out of his seat. He really just wanted to hide away, pretend he wasn’t at his aunt’s funeral, and have someone else give the eulogy. In the end, Peter forced himself to get up, knowing that he would hate himself if he didn’t do this one last thing for his aunt. He stuttered his way through the whole speech and cried more than he would have liked, but he did it.

At one point Tony offered to go with Peter back to the apartment to collect some of his personal things, but the boy just couldn’t do it. The thought of it sent him spiralling into panic, so instead, Pepper and Happy went to pack up the apartment. They grabbed a couple boxes of items from Peter’s room for him to have at the compound and put the rest in a storage unit for safe keeping. 

Pepper was currently at work and Tony was working in his lab. Peter had spent the last hour building up the courage to ask about where he would be going next. It was nice of Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts to allow him to stay with them for the past week, but he knew it wasn’t a long term arrangement. They had far more important things to worry about than him. He knew logically, he’d probably be put into foster care. It wasn’t really what he wanted, but he didn’t have much of a choice in his life at the moment. There really wasn’t any other option that Peter could think of so he tried to tell himself that foster care could be alright. Maybe he’d make some new friends or..or something. 

Taking in a deep breath, Peter slowly walked into the lab. Mr. Stark had a hologram projection running some simulations for an upgrade he was working on for his latest Iron Man suit. ACDC was blasting through the speakers and Dum E was attempting to mop up an oil spill. It was the robot who noticed the nervous teen first. Beeping excitedly, he zoomed across the room towards Peter, cutting straight through Mr. Stark’s projection. “Dum E, what have I told you about going through the holograms?” The man turned exasperated toward where the robot was now happily chirping by Peter, his facial expression turning soft. “Oh! Hey Pete.”

“Hi, Mr. Stark. I’m sorry to bother. I- I shouldn’t have come down here, I’ll just head back up.” All the courage he had built up before had vanished the second he walked into the lab. Taking several steps back he started to leave the lab. 

“Wait! It’s all good Pete. You can stay. What’s up?” Tony took several steps towards Peter, a worrying look in his eye. “Fri, be a doll and turn down the music.”

That made Peter feel guilty. He really shouldn’t bother the man who has been kind enough to give him a place to stay for the past week. It was stupid. “Oh, it’s really nothing Mr. Stark. You can go back to work, I know you’re busy.” 

Tony rolled his eyes. “I’m never too busy for you kid. Come on, you know you can talk to me.”

Geez, Peter felt like he couldn’t do anything right. First he interrupted the man’s work and now he’s wasting his time by stalling. He wanted to insist that he was fine, but Peter know’s Mr. Stark won’t let it go. “I- I just wanted to talk to you about, um, about what’s going to happen with me next.” 

Mr. Stark narrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean what’s going to happen with you next?” 

“Just, uh, after I stay with you. Do you know where I’m going next? I mean, I’m grateful that you and Ms. Potts have let me stay with you and I don’t want you to think I wasn’t happy here, because I really am, but I was just curious about what happens when I leave?” Peter could feel his heart racing the more he spoke. Had he asked a stupid question. Was he supposed to be figuring out where he would go next? That made sense. They were busy, they didn’t have time to look for a place for Peter to stay. He should have thought of that. Wow, he was stupid. “I- I’m sorry Mr. Stark. I should have realized sooner. I’ll figure that out. You don’t have to worry about it.”

Tony’s look of confusion deepened before his eyes widened. He sputtered for a moment before gaining control of his words. “Wait, wait. No no no no, Peter. You- you’re not going anywhere. You’re staying with me and Pepper. We’ve filled out the guardianship papers and everything.”

Peter felt his mouth fall open into a small ‘o’. 

“Did you really think we were going to send you somewhere else?” Tony asked quietly. When Peter nodded his expression fell a little in sadness. “Peter, why would you think that? Did we do something that made you think you weren’t welcome?”

There was that guilty feeling again. He didn’t mean to make Mr. Stark feel like he wasn’t good enough for him. He was just trying not to be a burden on the man. “No. Mr. Stark. You and Ms. Potts have been very welcoming and kind. It’s just, I know you both are very busy and have important things to be doing. So I thought…” Peter’s thoughts trailed off as he looked at his shoes. The frayed ends of his laces were suddenly very intriguing. 

“Oh Pete. There will never be anything more important to us than you.” Tony closed the gap between the two of them pulling Peter into a brief hug. Pulling back, there was a small teasing look in his eyes as he tried to move past his show of emotions. “You’re stuck with us. Sorry kiddo. You can’t get rid of us that easily.” A small smile formed on Peter’s lips for the first time since May died.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading! 
> 
> Please leave a kudos or comment if you enjoyed! As always, any suggestions, ideas, feedback, etc.. is appreciated!


	3. Oh, I believe in yesterday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3! At your service....

Peter sat alone in the middle of a circle. On one side there were four graves. Two of them had overgrown grass surrounding them and the headstones were unreadable with how dirty they were. The third grave looked newer than the first two. The grass was only half grown around the lightly dirt dusted headstones. The fourth grave looked brand new. The dirt was freshly turned, the headstone in pristine condition, and a bouquet of flowers resting in a vase next to it. 

On the opposite side of the graves stood Tony, Pepper, and Ned. They all had tears running down their faces and were cowering away from Peter.

“Please Pete. We were just trying to help you. How could you do this to us?” Tony asked.

Peter’s vision blurred for a second and when things regained focus, he was faced with an open grave. He snapped his attention back to the three people who stood to his side. Peter tried to open his mouth to speak but nothing came out. 

“You have to choose, Peter.” Looking around for the voice, Peter noticed a man standing at the head of the open grave. But it wasn’t just any man. It was Peter himself. He was staring at himself. “You know the drill. Someone else has to die now. You let them get close to you and now they have to die. Pick one Peter. Pick someone to die.” 

The ground started to shake and four bodies started to crawl up from the graves. Peter could make out that the bodies were his parents, Ben, and May. In unison they all started to talk to him. “You killed us Peter. Why did you kill us? Why did you kill us?” 

\- - - - - - - - - - -

It had been one month, four days, six hours, fifty two minutes, and thirty nine seconds since May had died. Peter still missed his aunt, but things with Mr. Stark and Ms. Pot- Er, Pepper - with Mr. Stark and Pepper had been great. Pepper took him to a fancy furniture store to pick out decorations for his room ( “Ms. Potts, I really don’t need much. What you guys have given me already is more than enough.” “No, It’s your room, Peter. You need to personalize it. Don’t worry about the price, just get what you want.” “But Ms. Potts..” “Peter if you call me ‘Ms. Potts’ one more time I will make you sit out in the car with Happy and I will pick out everything for you.” “Is that a promise?”), He and Mr. Stark worked together in the lab most days, and he was starting to feel more and more normal everyday. 

There were still times when Peter felt guilty for moving on without his aunt. He knew she would want him to be happy, but in moments like this - when Peter woke up in a cold sweat from another nightmare - he couldn’t help the guilt that flooded over him, making him feel like he couldn’t breathe. 

It took several minutes for Peter to get his breathing under control. He still felt like something was constricting his airways. The clock in his room was bright, the time showing that it was only 1:32am. He had only been asleep for less than two hours, but after how bad of a nightmare he had, Peter knew sleep wouldn’t come again for the night. Groaning, he pulled himself out of bed to change out of his sweat soaked pajamas before trekking into the kitchen to get a glass of water. This was the fourth time in as many nights he had a nightmare and they only seemed to be getting worse. 

“Hey Peter, what are you doing awake?” A voice behind him asked. Peter didn’t expect anyone else to be up, so he startled when he heard the voice, causing him to drop his glass of water. The cup shattered as it hit the floor, pieces of glass cutting into Peter’s feet. “Oh my gosh! Peter, you alright?”

Peter was staring at his feet, watching as a little blood mixed with the spilled water - making it look like he was bleeding more than he actually was. “Huh?” He looked up to see Pepper standing in front of him, then realizing she had asked him a question. “Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”

Just then, Tony came running into the room. His hair was sticking up at odd angles and he was only wearing a pair of pajama bottoms. “What’s going on? I heard a crash.” 

“It’s nothing, I just dropped a cup. Everything’s all good.” Peter reassured him with a wave of his hand. His feet were starting to sting, but he didn’t need to worry Mr. Stark, he could handle it. “I’m sorry I woke you up.” 

Tony’s eyes drifted down - where there was, in fact, glass and water covering the floor. It would have been a miracle if the man hadn’t noticed Peter’s cut and bleeding feet, but as things would have it, he did notice. “Shit, kid. Your feet are bleeding.” 

Pepper let out a gasp as she looked to see it for herself. She looked guilty and that did nothing to aid Peter’s guilt complex. Tears started to form in his eyes and Peter tried to blink them back. He really didn’t want to worry the couple anymore. It was late, they should be asleep. (Well, so should Peter, but it was different, okay?) He tried to open his mouth to ease their worries, but a lump in his throat stopped him. 

Carefully rushing to his side, Tony grabbed a stool for Peter to sit on before starting to examine the small wounds. “There are still pieces of glass in some of these cuts. Pep, will you grab the first aid kit for me?” 

As Pepper started to shuffle under the sink for the kit, Tony looked at Peter and noticed the unshed tears. “Oh hey. It’s gonna be alright Pete. Does it hurt?” The softness and worry that he spoke with just made the shame that Peter was feeling deepen. He looked down as the tears overflowed and trickled down his cheeks, shaking his head. While the cuts stung a little, they didn’t really hurt. “What’s wrong then bud?” 

Pepper handed Tony the first aid kit as Peter tried to wipe away the tears, embarrassment taking over for acting to childish. Not only had he woken up both adults, he broke a cup and now Mr. Stark had to clean up his cuts. All of this over a stupid bad dream. The embarrassment was quickly dampened as his feelings of frustration bubbled to the surface. He knew he was mad at himself for acting like a baby, but that didn’t stop Peter from lashing out at Mr. Stark. “It’s nothing. Stay out of my business!” 

Both Tony and Pepper froze at Peter’s words. They had never heard the kid talk to anyone like that. This is the same kid who once defended his bully by stating ‘he has a hard home life and needs someone to take his frustrations out on.’ For him to snap at them like he had was new and neither of them knew how to handle it. No one talked for a few minutes as Tony picked the glass out of Peter’s feet and Pepper cleaned the floor. 

“I’m sorry.” Peter whispered, a fresh set of tears forming. He shouldn’t have gotten mad. They were just trying to help. How could he be so ungrateful? He wouldn’t be surprised if they kicked him out. He had been so rude. “I’m so sorry.” 

His shoulders tensed as he remembered the last time he had yelled at someone who wasn’t a criminal. It was the day Ben died. They had gotten in a stupid fight - both of them yelling at each other - and then Peter left. If the teen had just kept his cool, Ben wouldn’t have had to go looking for him. Ben wouldn’t have been shot trying to stop the robber that Peter ignored. Ben wouldn’t have bled out on the sidewalk while Peter sat there uselessly, crying for help.

Ben wouldn’t be dead, if Peter hadn't gotten mad. 

Since that day, Peter did everything he could to never get mad at someone he was close to. It wasn’t easy at first, but being Spider-Man helped to relieve the anger that he was constantly pushing down. Sure, taking down criminals helped, but really it was swinging across all of New York City that calmed him the most. Everyone had their own coping mechanisms - the feeling of flying and falling and soaring through the air just happens to be his.

Even though he had a way to work out his anger, Peter was still terrified of what could happen if he snapped at someone again. That fear was what was pinning him down right now, making him feel as if he couldn’t breathe. All he could think about was how Mr. Stark and Pepper were going to make him leave now that he had yelled at them.

What he hadn’t expected was for Pepper to pull him into a tight hug, a hand carding through his curls. Peter listened to her heartbeat, the constant thumping easing his nerves and he felt himself leaning into her touch. He took a deep breath to fill his aching lungs and closed his eyes, still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Through past experiences, Peter knew the current comfort wasn’t likely to last. 

The silence between the three of them lasted until Tony finished wrapping Peter’s feet. (The cuts would heal quickly, but he wasn’t going to risk the kid getting an infection.) “Kid, what’s going on?” Tony asked carefully and bracing himself for the kid to snap again. 

“I’m sorry.” Peter repeated. It felt like it was the only safe thing he could say without being more of a burden on them. 

“Peter, sweetie, please stop apologizing. We’re not mad. We’re worried.” Pepper didn’t move from her spot where she had an arm wrapped around his shoulders, his head resting on her shoulder. 

When Peter didn’t say anything, Tony huffed a little in frustration. He didn’t have much experience when it came to teenagers (or kids in general) and he was getting a little annoyed. They were just trying to help. Why couldn’t the kid see that? Tony didn’t want his kid to be hurting on his own, but he felt so incapable of helping Peter without screwing it up somehow. But he was a fixer. It was just part of his DNA, so he was going to find some way to help his kid. 

Not wanting to take his frustration of feeling inadequate out on Peter, Tony stood to put away the first aid kit. He needed a moment to think about his game plan. Spinning on his heel, he was surprised when he felt a hand close around his wrist. Looking back, Peter’s red-rimmed eyes were wide and there was a hint of fear. As soon as they made eye contact, Peter seemed to register what he had just done, dropping Tony’s wrist like it had burned him, and immediately started to apologize profusely. 

“Pete. Peter. Stop. Stop apologizing. It’s okay.” Tony reassured. He set the kit on the counter and crouched down so he was eye level with Peter, who was avoiding eye contact. “Peter, look at me. What’s wrong buddy? You’re scaring me.” 

“Please don’t leave me.” Peter whispered. He felt childish and weak, but if Mr. Stark and Pepper left, then he would, once again, be alone. 

“We aren’t going anywhere Peter.” Pepper held his chin in her hands, forcing him to look at her, hoping he could see the sincerity in her eyes. 

“You’re safe here, kid.” Tony ran a hand through Peter’s hair, his heart soaring a little when his kid nestled into his touch. He internally cursed himself for breaking the nice moment they were having. “We do need to talk about what happened though. You wanna move to the couch so we can all be more comfortable?” 

When Peter nodded, they walked to the couch (Tony wanted to carry Peter to keep the weight off of his hurt feet, but the kid vehemently refused.), and prepared themselves for the upcoming talk. 

“Okay, kid. The floor’s all yours. Tell us what’s going on in that head of yours.” Tony started, hoping he was successful in adding a lighthearted tone into the tense room. 

Peter chewed on his lip for a moment, trying to figure out where to start. Should he tell them about the nightmare? Or should he just explain why he got mad? Does he tell them about the thing with Ben? Eventually, he decided to just start from the beginning. “I- I had a really bad nightmare. It woke me up and I decided to get some water. I thought you both were asleep, so when I heard Pepper, I got a little freaked out. That’s why I accidentally dropped the water. Which I am so sorry about. I really didn’t mean to. And that woke you up, Mr. Stark, so I’m sorry for that too. And-”

Tony didn’t want to stop Peter, but if the kid apologized one more time… 

“- then I felt bad about the glass and the mess and waking you up and I was just frustrated with myself, because I was just causing problem after problem. So when you asked me what was wrong, I got mad at myself because I was just being stupid and I didn’t mean to bother you more than I had. I couldn’t stop myself when I just snapped at you because I was so angry. But I wasn’t angry at you. I was mad at myself. You know?” Peter paused for a second to take a breath and risk looking at Tony, who was trying to hide the pain from hearing that Peter thought he was a burden on them. It seemed his efforts paid off because his kid continued to talk. “Anyway, I’m really really sorry about that. I know I shouldn’t have gotten mad. I try so hard not to get mad anymore, because the last time I yelled at someone, Ben…”

Pepper and Tony both let out a soft gasp when Peter trailed off. They knew the very basics of what had happened the night Ben Parker died. They knew that Ben was out looking for Peter when he was shot by a robber. Tony had assumed that Peter was off Spider-Manning or something. “Oh, Pete.” Was all Tony could breathe out.

“It’s...anyway, I just shouldn’t have gotten mad and I am so sorry. Please don’t make me leave.” He whispered the last part, his eyes filling with tears for the third time that night.

“Peter, we will never make you leave. Ever.” Tony comforted. “There is nothing you can ever do to make us not want you. Please, Pete, please believe that.”

“I agree with Tony.” Pepper added. “But sweetie, what I’m most worried about is that fact that you thought you were bothering us. Tony and I are here to help you. We want to help you. Even if it’s the middle of the night, okay? We love you so much and it’s so hard when we know that you’re hurting, but you don’t talk to us.” 

“I’m sorry.” Peter, for the millionth time, apologized. 

“Kid, I swear, if you apologize one more time for something that you don’t need to apologize for, I am going to ground you until your thirty.” Tony threatened. 

“I’ll show everyone that video May sent me of you running around the house in nothing but a superhero cape when you were 8.”

Unsurprisingly, Pepper’s threat had the most effect, seeing as Peter’s face paled and his eyes shot open. “You- you still have that?” 

“Of course I still have it. I wouldn’t give up prime blackmailing content.” 

“Hold up. Why haven’t I seen or heard about this video until now? I want to see it.” Tony asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief. 

“Nope. Like I said, it’s prime blackmailing content. I’m not about to give up an opportunity to hold it over Peter’s head, just because you want to see it.” Pepper smirked. 

Peter blanched at the thought of anyone seeing that video - including Pepper. Tony however, just sighed dramatically, crossing an arm over his face to mimic fainting. “I guess I’ll just have to have FRIDAY find the video for me.” 

“FRIDAY?” Pepper said staring straight at Tony, the smirk on her face spreading wider. “Don’t give Tony access to that video. And if he tries to hack into the file manually, you are to completely shut down the power to whatever building he is in.” 

“Yes, Boss Lady. The video of young Mr. Parker is secure.” FRIDAY answered, and Tony could swear he never programmed his A.I to sound so smug. 

“Wait! Why are you taking her side? I made you!” Tony whined. 

Again with the emotions so clearly present in her robotic voice, FRIDAY answered. “Ms. Potts has a higher authority level than you do. One of my top priorities is to ensure your safety, so I gave Ms. Potts the ability to lock you out of any and all systems, based on previous experiences when you refused to look after yourself.

Tony thought he was hearing things. Did his A.I really just throw him under a bus? Wow, he’s better at making A.I’s than he thought. 

“Hmm, I like her.” Peter mused from where he was squished between Mr. Stark and Pepper. He then let out a big yawn, which seemed to remind everyone of how late (early?) it was. 

“Okay, okay. Let’s all get to bed. Yeah?” Tony stood up, his joints popping as he did. 

The three of them made their way down the hallway, stopping outside of Peter’s room. He hesitated at his door. He really did not want to go back to his room. The nightmare made its way back to the front of his mind. Pepper and Tony both noticed his hesitation. They shared a look for a brief second, before both nodded their head. “Hey, Pete, you could always join us in our bed. If you wanted? There’s more than enough room for the three of us. I know going back to sleep after a bad nightmare can be hard when you’re by yourself.” Tony offered. 

It didn’t sound like a bad idea. In fact, Peter really liked that idea. He really did not want to be alone at the moment, but he didn’t want to impose. Then again, Pepper did say that he wasn’t a bother to them. She also said that they wanted to help him. And, Tony offered first, so... “Are- are you sure?” Peter asked quietly. 

“Of course! Now come on, I’m tired.” Pepper said with a big smile as she led the way to the room. 

Within the next ten minutes, the three of them were settled in the bed. Mr. Stark and Pepper had already fallen asleep, their breaths slow and even. Peter laid between them, sleep threatening to take him at any second. For the first time since May had died, he truly felt like everything was going to be alright. They were still fighting an uphill battle, but the small victories made it worth it. Peter smiled to himself, soaking up as much as he could from their current win of the night. Soon, he too had fallen into a dreamless, peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this story! I think for now I'm done with it. If y'all would like to see more, let me know in the comments.
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Please leave a kudos or comment if you did. As always, any suggestions, ideas, feedback, etc..is much appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, Thank you for reading!
> 
> If you're reading this before I've had the chance to upload the second and third chapter, reload the page because I'm literally posting them all one after the other. 
> 
> Please leave a kudos or comment if you liked the story! Any suggestions, ideas, feedback, etc.. is always appreciated!


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